I legit HATE working, how do I find a job that is at least bearable?

[Anonymous]

Find a job at a government agency in a relaxed department. Once you’re hired shop around a bit until you identify the good managers/groups, and detail or transfer to them.

I’m a non-supervisory GS-15 and I legitimately love my job. The work I do is interesting but not stressful. I don’t have to deal with clients. I don’t really have to fill my calendar. I cycle through busy periods and slow periods and my managers encourage me to relax during the slow ones. I get great reviews and have been recommended for management positions in the past, but I’m perfectly happy with my current role.

Jobs like my exist in lots of sectors, but I definitely recommend government.

[Anonymous]

Read Tim Ferris Book "4 hour workweek"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Find a job at a government agency in a relaxed department. Once you’re hired shop around a bit until you identify the good managers/groups, and detail or transfer to them.

I’m a non-supervisory GS-15 and I legitimately love my job. The work I do is interesting but not stressful. I don’t have to deal with clients. I don’t really have to fill my calendar. I cycle through busy periods and slow periods and my managers encourage me to relax during the slow ones. I get great reviews and have been recommended for management positions in the past, but I’m perfectly happy with my current role.

Jobs like my exist in lots of sectors, but I definitely recommend government.

Please share tips on how to get into government jobs??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Find a job at a government agency in a relaxed department. Once you’re hired shop around a bit until you identify the good managers/groups, and detail or transfer to them.

I’m a non-supervisory GS-15 and I legitimately love my job. The work I do is interesting but not stressful. I don’t have to deal with clients. I don’t really have to fill my calendar. I cycle through busy periods and slow periods and my managers encourage me to relax during the slow ones. I get great reviews and have been recommended for management positions in the past, but I’m perfectly happy with my current role.

Jobs like my exist in lots of sectors, but I definitely recommend government.

Please share tips on how to get into government jobs??

1. Look for vacancy announcements
2. Apply
3. Get accepted

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Find a job at a government agency in a relaxed department. Once you’re hired shop around a bit until you identify the good managers/groups, and detail or transfer to them.

I’m a non-supervisory GS-15 and I legitimately love my job. The work I do is interesting but not stressful. I don’t have to deal with clients. I don’t really have to fill my calendar. I cycle through busy periods and slow periods and my managers encourage me to relax during the slow ones. I get great reviews and have been recommended for management positions in the past, but I’m perfectly happy with my current role.

Jobs like my exist in lots of sectors, but I definitely recommend government.

Please share tips on how to get into government jobs??

1. Look for vacancy announcements
2. Apply
3. Get accepted

No, you have to have an "in"; know someone. Also, most require previous GS levels so you have to start from the bottom if an outsider.

[Anonymous]

Teaching has a lot of days off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You sound like an amazingly astute and well accomplished, driven professional, OP. I’d love to work with you.

Inventory what you love to do - make a list and free form this. Include non work related tasks and hobbies.
Then make a list of tasks that you abhor and recognized weaknesses.

My positive list would be: writing, research, note taking, organizing spaces, meeting people, teaching and leading, reading, mysteries, history, word games, puzzles, lists, being outside in nature, helping others

Negative: technology, math, statistics, financial planning, chemistry, being confined in a tiny space, rigid routines, shift work, micromanagement

At 52, I’m in a new career field and received a promotion to a job I love. My new role incorporates so many of the skills on my “love” list - I’m teaching and helping, I have to understand the history of the job and role, I travel to various sites and do extensive editing and writing and organizing. I work on a small team and we each delegate preferred tasks to each other.

I’m always the note taker! I’m always the editor! I’m the bubbly and enthusiastic person who gets called in to smooth ruffled feathers and to advocate for my employees by remaining calm and neutral.

I can’t believe I get paid for doing what I love. This is my wish for you, OP.

NP. OMG. You just described me, right down to your age! I think I'm more introverted than you, but everything else was SPOT.ON. Would you mind telling us what you do/where you work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did everything the right way. I grew up poor & am a minority. Went to the military, got out and used the GI bill at a top undergrad. I interned on the hill. Got a prestigious fellowship for a year and then went to a top grad school. My resume is very strong and I am frequently praised for being a hard worker..but I legitimately hate working. I hate the creepy management, I hate office politics & the small 'watercooler talk', I hate that I have to put a smile on my face and deal with disgruntled clients, I hate working for the sake of working and having to fill my calendar with 40 hours even if I can effectively do all my work in 20 hours. I'm miserable trying to do this corporate grind. I left a job paying well over 100k because I have never felt so unfulfilled and dreaded going to work and not knowing what senior management was going to decide was a good idea that day. I'm not even motivated by the money like I was before.


For those of you who have experienced what I have, how did you survive? How did you end up finding something that was in that 30 hour a week time frame? Is federal side any better? Corporate? Small business?

First, you meant "most bearable" or "least unbearable", not "least bearable". Remote work cuts the watercooler and fingerpointing out. Commercial sector has smarter people. Intellectual STEM managers are more accurate and objective. A short stint in car sales, etc should help you deal with disgruntled clients, as will better products and genuine interest in their issues. Sometimes shares (employee-owned) or launching your own startup helps with sincere desire for the best customer experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did everything the right way. I grew up poor & am a minority. Went to the military, got out and used the GI bill at a top undergrad. I interned on the hill. Got a prestigious fellowship for a year and then went to a top grad school. My resume is very strong and I am frequently praised for being a hard worker..but I legitimately hate working. I hate the creepy management, I hate office politics & the small 'watercooler talk', I hate that I have to put a smile on my face and deal with disgruntled clients, I hate working for the sake of working and having to fill my calendar with 40 hours even if I can effectively do all my work in 20 hours. I'm miserable trying to do this corporate grind. I left a job paying well over 100k because I have never felt so unfulfilled and dreaded going to work and not knowing what senior management was going to decide was a good idea that day. I'm not even motivated by the money like I was before.


For those of you who have experienced what I have, how did you survive? How did you end up finding something that was in that 30 hour a week time frame? Is federal side any better? Corporate? Small business?

First, you meant "most bearable" or "least unbearable", not "least bearable". Remote work cuts the watercooler and fingerpointing out. Commercial sector has smarter people. Intellectual STEM managers are more accurate and objective. A short stint in car sales, etc should help you deal with disgruntled clients, as will better products and genuine interest in their issues. Sometimes shares (employee-owned) or launching your own startup helps with sincere desire for the best customer experience.

“At least bearable” is correct as used. Too bad you’re an idiot with poor reading comprehension.

[Anonymous]

“At least bearable” is correct as used. Too bad you’re an idiot with poor reading comprehension. Fair enough, "at least"...bearable makes sense. You are right, the sentence gave me a wordiness that made me read it as at..."least bearable";like OP was looking for the breaking point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need to find something that you enjoy doing as an occupation. It sounds like government work is not it.

Where do I sign up to browse DCUM and porn all day?
How much does it pay?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need to find something that you enjoy doing as an occupation. It sounds like government work is not it.

Where do I sign up to browse DCUM and porn all day?
How much does it pay?

Covid call centers! Seriously! Ongoing hiring!

[Anonymous]

i am in government and it is terrible.

[Anonymous]

Same, hate working. I think a lot of people end up in careers that don't suit them and get stuck.

[Anonymous]

I know a lot of people will laugh at this but talking to a life coach really helped me. You could see a career counselor as well but a life coach helped me understand that part of the reason I was unhappy was not work but also a few things outside of work so that was helpful.

The exercise that helped me was to make a wish list of what I must have in a new job, what I would be flexible on and what I did not want. When I set out to find my next job, I used that list to weigh every option and finally found something that was perfect for me. I was really happy there, until I was laid off during COVID. I don't say that to discourage you but to remind you that even the most perfect job may not last forever--just enjoy it while you can and remember the parts that you love when you look for the next opportunity.

If you don't need the health benefits, going out on your own may be a good option for you. Especially with your experience on the Hill and in the military.